The Biology of Being Naked & Afraid
COVID, politics, climate change, lockdown, human rights, finances, bored kids are just the tip of our iceberg of stressors. Bad news is coming at us from all directions; conversations with family and friends inevitably end up processing the bad news. Even in our happy moments, the undercurrent of stress and uncertainty is always present. If you’re wondering where your sex drive has gone over the past 6 months, you’re not alone. Sex and stress, anxiety and fear do not make happy bedmates, and that’s a biological fact.
6 Natural Ways to Prevent and Treat Menstrual Cramps
At Beyond the Red Tent we are big believers in empowering women to care for their own bodies and their own health in natural ways. Yoni steaming is a time honored practice and we love the herbs available from Soul Vibrance. We’re grateful to the team at Soul Vibrance for sharing this wonderful resource on preventing and treating menstrual cramps. If you suffer from mild to severe menstrual cramps, you are in good company. According to some estimates, nearly 85% of adolescent and adult women experience some degree of menstrual cramps, also known as dysmenorrhea.
It’s True: You Might Not Need That Pelvic Exam
There is so much confusion and misinformation when it comes to pelvic exams: what they entail, what they can and cannot diagnose, and how often they are necessary. In this time of telemedicine, people are surprised to learn that yes, actually, I can do many visits remotely. When I was in residency (before computers or Snapchat or memes! Yes, I am old!), we were encouraged to do A LOT of pelvic exams. I always felt sorry for the unfortunate woman who would show up at a teaching hospital with pelvic pain.
How to Prevent or Treat a Cold
The cold and flu season is upon us once again. The following is a ton of information designed to help you protect yourself from getting sick this winter – and what to do if your efforts fail. General recommendations for preventing colds… Help your immune system to function optimally by getting enough sleep, exercising (but not excessively), managing stress, eating an abundance of raw, colorful vegetables every day, keeping sugar to a low level, avoiding foods to which you are sensitive or allergic and testing for and correcting any underlying nutritional deficiencies.
There’s No Such Thing as Prevention: On Risk Reduction & Functional Medicine
“There is no such thing as prevention,” declared Dr. Tamara Sachs of New Milford. (A little gasp escapes me and I’m thinking “Omigosh. Sacrilege. ‘Prevention’ is my middle name for Pete’s sake.”). Then she does it again: “Prevention is just a misnomer — a great idea but you can’t always ‘prevent’ stuff.” I have to agree. “So,” she continued, “whenever prevention ‘fails’ we blame the patient. People feel so guilty and say, ‘Oooo, I smoked for a few years but quit 10 years ago — why do I have lung cancer? There must be something wrong with me.'”
4 Seasons in 4 Weeks: Tap into your monthly rhythmic intelligence
If I had known then what I know now, I’m pretty sure I would have turned my entire hormonal experience (every single month since “first bleed”) into a badass, rite-of-passage—something to get better at each time, a pilgrimage into my self-knowing, a daily practice of cycle-tracking skill and a deepening into my genetic & spiritual remembering. I think I would have loved the bigger picture intention of universal sisterhood and the need for each female to focus and step into her rightful place of honor.
Who Needs Sleep? Tips for Improving Your Sleep Habits.
After your diet and supplements, the most important things for your health are sleep and exercise. Both are important medicine. Sleep is when we heal. If you stub your toe in the morning, you repair it at night, during restorative sleep. Sleep seems to be the ONLY time our brains detoxify; hence that foggy-headed feeling when you don’t get enough deep sleep. Most of us are sleep deprived; if you need to use an alarm clock, you probably are too. Make it a priority to get at LEAST 7 hours of sleep per night, but ideally 8 or 9.
